Seeing that the young master was trying so hard, the others naturally did not dare to slack off.
Madam Hua looked at her eldest son with satisfaction. Although he was young, impulsive, and prone to anger, there was no denying that he was resolute and upright. If he were properly trained in time, he would surely become a family head as capable as his father!
Watching everyone busily rescuing their trapped brothers, Madam Hua turned to look at the collapsed building, a calculating glint appearing in her eyes.
They had fought from day to night. Even though they took turns, with half an hour of rest each time, everyone was still utterly exhausted.
Fortunately, the Feng family's mine had been built with great care, and all the facilities were very sturdy. Therefore, there was no possibility of a secondary collapse so far.
After the gravel piled in front was moved, they discovered that although the mine tunnel had suffered some damage, it was generally fine.
Uncle Qi took out a rare luminous pearl, placed it in a specially crafted box, and immediately, a radiant light filled the mine tunnel, illuminating it clearly.
"Madam, Young General, this old servant will lead some men in to take a look. If all is well, then the soldiers can come in."
"Alright, Uncle Qi, be careful!"
Uncle Qi nodded solemnly. They had walked this path countless times before, but now, a sense of desolation arose within him, and he felt a vast, unknown road ahead.
The few people following behind him were also the mine managers. Here, it was a tradition passed down from father to son, and grandson to grandfather. Many families had been rooted here for generations, and naturally, they were all worried.
After going deeper into the mine for dozens of meters, they seemed to hear faint sounds.
Uncle Qi, with his sharpest hearing, hurried towards the source of the sound. Indeed, he saw a strong young man lying on the ground. Without food or water, he was somewhat dehydrated after being trapped for two days.
"Yong Man, Yong Man."
The man called Yong Man struggled to wake up, unsure if he was dreaming or had been rescued. Seeing Uncle Qi, he barely had the strength to be excited. He pointed a finger towards a deeper direction inside and said,
"Save them... Uncle Qi."
They had been working inside as usual when, for some unknown reason, the earth began to shake violently.
Although Uncle Qi had always emphasized the importance of paying attention and remembering the locations of safe corners, there had been no accidents here for hundreds of years. Gradually, everyone had forgotten how to protect themselves.
Therefore, the collapse came so suddenly and rapidly that they were buried alive. He, being closest to the exit, managed to escape.
But the lights in the mine tunnel were extinguished, and he walked in complete darkness, not knowing where he was going. Exhausted and frightened, he simply lay down where he was, waiting to die.
Who would have thought that Uncle Qi and the others would find him!
"Don't worry, we will definitely get everyone out!"
With that, he had one person help Yong Man quickly walk outside, and at the same time, he notified Madam and the young master that there were still many brothers trapped inside, urging them to send more people to help.
Seeing Yong Man, although he was only half-alive, it was still good news, which gave Uncle Qi and the others a much-needed boost.
They continued to walk towards the increasingly deep interior.
As expected, following the direction of Yong Man's feet, after walking for an unknown amount of time, they saw a blocked cave entrance.
At this sight, Uncle Qi's heart sank by more than half.
The air in the mine tunnel was already thin. So many people trapped for two days without water or food – he wondered how many would survive.
But even so, they had to bring everyone out!
"Dig, use your hands, use your teeth, but dig it open!"
"Yes!"
The few men brought tools and immediately began to work.
As experienced managers of the mine, they naturally knew where to start. When Feng Jinhua arrived with more people, they had already dug a hole, but there was still no movement from within.
Either the hole was too far from them, or they were too weak to make any sound.
Neither scenario was good news.
When Uncle Qi saw Feng Jinhua, there was surprise in his eyes. He immediately stepped forward and said in a low voice,
"Young Master, you should leave quickly. Leave this place to this old servant. I will definitely bring everyone out. You are responsible for the entire Feng family and cannot put yourself in such danger!"
Feng Jinhua, however, heard his words and slapped Uncle Qi heartily on the shoulder, saying,
"Don't worry, since I am responsible for the entire Feng family, I should let everyone see my commitment during times of hardship. Uncle Qi, stop talking and let's get to work. We save one person at a time!"
"Good! Everything will be as the Young Master commands!"
The people who followed had only known Feng Shan before, as his decades of authority had long won their respect.
But Feng Jinhua before them was merely a young lad in their eyes. Seeing him like this now, they realized that the heads of the Feng family were indeed benevolent. Their resolve to follow the Feng family wholeheartedly strengthened, and they worked even harder.
With more people, the digging naturally became faster.
Those responsible for shoring up the tunnel behind them were also not idle. After all, rescuing the people was only the first step; the reinforcement issue could not be underestimated. If they dug them out only for the tunnel to collapse again, wouldn't they have suffered a double loss?
Therefore, each person was very serious about their respective tasks, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
After changing hands three or four times in rotation, they finally saw the hole widen by a few meters. Uncle Qi suddenly shouted, and everyone stopped their actions.
"Dong dong, dong dong..."
The sound of stones colliding made both Uncle Qi and Feng Jinhua extremely excited. "Someone is still alive! Someone is still alive! Hurry, faster!"
"Yes!"
The sound was like heavenly music, filling the rescuers with confidence. They attacked the spot with renewed vigor, and finally, after half an hour, they pried open a hole.
Feng Jinhua took the lead and asked into the hole,
"Is anyone there?"
Unfortunately, there was no reply.
Uncle Qi frowned and shouted into the hole again.
"Wang Xu, Xu Jia, Liu Da Yi..."
These were the managers who had led the team in this time. If they could find them, perhaps they could learn many details.
Only after hearing specific names did someone struggle to extend a hand from the hole. The luminous pearl shone forward, and they saw that it was Liu Da Yi, whom Uncle Qi had called out!
"Da Yi! How are you?" Uncle Qi rushed forward and cried out. Seeing his weak state, he felt both self-reproach and sadness. He quickly stepped forward and pulled him out of the hole.
The rescued Liu Da Yi said to the inside,
"My brothers are all in there... but... I don't know how many are still alive... We ate all the rations we brought... no water... breathing is difficult..."
He spoke each word with great difficulty. The person behind him handed him a water flask. Uncle Qi poured out a little for Liu Da Yi to drink.
Like a parched traveler in the desert finding salvation, Liu Da Yi wanted to drink more, but Uncle Qi stopped him.